A protester burns tires in a highway from Harare to Bulawayo in Warren Park of Harare, Zimbabwe, Jan. 15, 2019. An uneasy calm prevailed in some parts of Harare following Monday's violent demonstrations after fuel price hikes announced by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday. (Xinhua/Shaun Jusa)
by Zhang Yuliang, Tichaona Chifamba
HARARE, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- An uneasy calm prevailed in some parts of Harare follwoing Monday's violent demonstrations after fuel price hikes announced by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday.
The government has blamed the main opposition party MDC Alliance and its perceived allies in the non-governmental sector for the mayhem which left an undisclosed number of people dead and both state and private property destroyed as some demonstrators turned to looting and security agencies allegedly shot at crowds.
Unconfirmed reports put the number of dead countrywide at five.
Mnangagwa announced fuel pump prices of 3.11 U.S. dollars per liter for diesel and 3.31 dollars per liter for petrol with effect from midnight Saturday.
Prior to the increases, diesel was selling for around 1.40 dollars per liter while petrol was going for 1.38 dollars per liter.
Foreign missions and other registered foreign bodies and tourists will fuel at designated points at the price of 1.24 dollars per liter for diesel and 1.32 dollars per liter for petrol upon production of proper identification documents.
Some police vehicles and private buses were burnt and shops looted as violent groups protesting against the increases moved around in many of the city's high-density suburbs ordering businesses and schools to close.
On Tuesday Morning, Harare's central streets remained empty as people stayed at home following Monday's violence.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and some civic leaders had called for a three-day shutdown following the announcement of the fuel price increases, arguing that ordinary people were being subjected to more suffering.
Pictures and videos taken in the country's second largest city, Bulawayo, showed people burning tires and looting goods from shops.
Minister of State for National Security Owen Ncube said Monday night that the State had activated all its security organs to deal with the situation.
"The prevailing security situation in the country is a culmination of a well orchestrated series of events by the MDC Alliance working in cahoots with NGOs, civic society, youth organisations, pressure groups and individuals," said the minister.
"Regrettably, this has resulted in the loss of life and property, including injury to police officers and members of the public. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Full investigations are underway," Ncube said.
He also said the demonstrations were intended to undermine Mnangagwa's ongoing re-engagement efforts to market Zimbabwe at high level fora such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Mnangagwa left Zimbabwe Monday morning for a four-nation tour of Eastern Europe before he heads to Davos.
"The events of the past 24 hours have been characterized by a well-coordinated criminal behavior, destructive and violent pattern which included the barricading of roads, harassment of innocent members of the public, burning of cars, disruption of children's lessons in schools, forced closure of business entities, attempts to overrun police posts, destruction of property, unlawful possession and discharging of firearms in public, attacking tollgates and robbing them of cash as well as looting of shops," Ncube said.
"In short, this was terrorism and total breakdown of rule of law and order which had nothing to do with the constitutional right of citizens to demonstrate peacefully as enshrined in Section 59 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe," he added.
He said the government had activated all security organs to restore law and order and protect life and property and so far more than 200 people had been arrested in connection with the disturbances.
"Government urges members of the public to go about their normal day to day activities without fear as their security is guaranteed," he said.
Many people opted to stay at home Tuesday after many of them were forced to walk long distances back home on Monday after failing to get transport.
The internet access in Harare was cut Tuesday morning, which made internet users facing difficultly to access the web.
The block on mobile internet and social media started on 9 a.m. local time. People could still use laptops and computers to access internet before the access was completely down on about 11:30 a.m..
